A speeding ticket might feel like a minor inconvenience, especially when life gets busy. It can be easy to set the ticket aside, forget about the deadline and assume the problem will resolve itself. However, ignoring a speeding ticket may result in more than just a simple fine.
The fallout of leaving a Florida traffic ticket unresolved
When you receive a speeding ticket in Florida, you generally have 30 days to respond. That response can take the form of paying the fine, electing traffic school or requesting a court hearing.
If that 30-day window passes without any action, the clerk of the court reports the failure to comply to the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FLHSMV). Once that notification goes through, the FLHSMV will indefinitely suspend your driver’s license until you satisfy the citation requirements.
While legally defined as a temporary withdrawal of your driving privileges, an “indefinite” suspension stays in place with no automatic expiration date, and it will not lift on its own. Late fees and additional court costs also tend to accumulate during this time, increasing the total amount you owe.
The process of getting your driving privileges back
To begin, you would want to contact the clerk of the court in the county where law enforcement issued the ticket and satisfy whatever requirements the clerk has set.
Once the court confirms those obligations have been met, the county sends a D6 clearance to the FLHSMV. From there, you may need to pay a reinstatement fee, often around $60 for a standard traffic citation suspension, at a local driver license service center or by phone.
While it is entirely possible to work on this process on your own, an attorney can assist you in addressing other issues. For example, legal counsel may be able to negotiate a withhold of adjudication to keep points off your record or file a formal motion with the judge to set aside the default and reopen the case to contest the original ticket.
